Proposed park would give Whatcom special needs children a place to ‘build bridges’
Children of all abilities will be able to play together at a park north of Bellingham that is being created with special needs children at the forefront, people behind the effort said.
The proposed Northside Park at Kline and Hannegan roads, at a cost of about $515,000, will have a playground that will include a wheelchair swing, wheelchair-friendly merry-go-round, ramps instead of stairs, accessible monkey bars, and swings with buckles for children who can’t sit on their own.
Northside Community Church and volunteers are behind the project, which is an extension of their efforts on behalf of people who have children with special needs, including their Buddy Break program to provide respite to family caregivers.
The park also will feature a rubberized playground that will benefit not only the children who have mobility issues but parents and caregivers who are themselves using a wheelchair or a walker. Such a surface will allow access to all of the play structures.
“In bark, a wheelchair doesn’t do very well,” said Rhonda Rische, the Northside Park coordinator.
The playground itself will be fenced, with one entry and exit point. That will make it easier for families with multiple children to keep track of their youngsters, including those who are runners or prone to wander, as can be the case for many children with autism and Down syndrome.
Rische, a mother of three boys, found that to be the case when the family went to playgrounds as the children were growing up. One of her sons, now 12, has Down syndrome.
“You take your eyes off of him for a second and he is who knows where,” she said of the need for vigilance. “They just don’t have that same kind of ‘checking in with mom’ sense that often kids have at that age.”
Organizers’ goal for the park is play for all — together — so the playground will have elements for children of different abilities.
It’s about allowing children to learn from one another, to see a wide variety of abilities and the strengths associated with them, and to gain an appreciation for one another, Rische said.
“It’s not just allowing play to happen there. It’s letting kids play together and building those bridges,” said Rische, a church employee who runs its Buddy Break program.
The project will include a public restroom.
Leathers & Associates, which specializes in all-inclusive playgrounds, designed the park in conjunction with ideas from Irene Reither Elementary School students, who shared them in October 2019, according to Rische.
With offices in New York and Florida, Leathers is the firm behind Star Park in Ferndale and Million Smiles in Lynden.
Right now, the project is in the fundraising phase.
About $150,000 has been raised so far, according to Rische.
In addition to donations, the project also will need volunteers.
“As we move forward, we just are really looking forward to having the community build together,” Rische said. “We want it to be a resource for everyone in our community.”
To help
Donate to the $515,000 project to build Northside Park park by going online to northsidepark.org.
Donations are tax deductible.
People also can find volunteer information at the site.
Businesses interested in corporate sponsorships can email rhonda@nccbellingham.com.
This story was originally published May 16, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
